The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-29
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
An Attempt Upon His Life is 1852
The Kidnapping Conspiracy.
From the Wheeling w. Va.) Register.

From the Wheeling tU' Vd) Register
81 am reading with q great deal of inter
est Nicolay and Hays life of Lincoln in the
Century" said Mr.. John W. Nichols, ex-
President of the Omaha fire department, to
me. 1.-The chapters that will most interest
me will be those relating to his career from
1s62to 1865, and particularly the history Of
the assassination 1t is not generally known
| that more than one attempt upon Lincoln's
: life was made IN Washington, but such is
the fact"
Mr.. Nichols statement interested me
somewhat, and asked him to explain. He
then went on and told me substantially the
following story:
I'm August, 1852, company X, One Hun
| dred and Fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers, of
which Mr. Nichols was a member, was de-
tailed as body guard of President Lincoln
Up to 1854, owing to the vigilance of the
guards, Mr.. Lincoln escaped all attempts of
violence The back of the Confederacy
were broken, a good feeling pervaded all
Washington, and vigilance was considerably
relaxed. 1t was then conspiracies were
Matched and Confederates ran the city I'M
molested. The President and his family
spent the summer months at the Soldiers
Home, about three miles north of the city,
whittier the body guard accompanied them.
1t was the custom of tine President to re-
main late at the War Department, and after
his work was concluded he would ride on
horseback out to the Home. That sum-
mer he had persistently refused an escort,
imagining himself perfectly secure.
One night about the middle of August
Mr.. Nichols was doing sentinel duty at the
large gate to the grounds of the Home
About II O'Clock ne heard rifle shot, and
shortly afterward Mr. Lincoln dashed up to
the gate on horseback. The President was
bareheaded, and as he dismounted he said,
referring to his horse:
He came pretty near getting away with
me, didn't her He got the bit in his teeth
before / could draw the rein.n
Mr.. Nichols asked him where his hat was,
and he replied that somebody had fred a
gun Off at the foot of the hin and that his
horse had become scared and jerked his hat
off.
Thinking the affair rather strange said
Nichols, "a coporal and myself went down
to the hill to make an investigation. At the
intersection of the driveway and main road
we found the Presidents hat-a plain silk
one-and upon examining it we discovered
bullet hole through the crown. The shot
had been fired upward, and it was evident
that the person who fred the shot had sec
reted himself close by the roadside. The
next day gave Mr.. Lincoln his hat and
called MS attention 10 the bullet hole. He
remarked rather unconcenedly that it was
put their by some foolish gunner and was
not intended for him. He said, however,
that he wanted the matter kept quiet and
admonished us TO say nothing about it, We
felt confident that it was an attempt TO kill
him, and a well nigh successful one, too.
The affair was, of course kept quiet in
compliance with the Presidents request.
After that the President never rode alone.
Nj. Nicholas then went on TO relate the
circumstances OF kidnapping conspiracy
which was attempted to be carried out the
next fail. This plan was unlsnowingly frus-
trated by the body guard, whose quarters
were Immediately in front of the south
porch of the Executive Mansion euuidis-
tant between that building and the Treas
ury, State, War and Navy Departments.
Just TO the east of the quarters was the
guard tent where a portion of the body
guards remained on duty For reasons then
unknown 20 the guards the tent was moved 10
the west end Of the gravel walk IN the rear
OF the War Department. Shortly afterward !
1t was learned by the guard that on the very |
night the tent was moved plan had been |
laid to capture the President as |
he should pass along the walk, and |
carry him to the house Of one Green, on the !